1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a video recording apparatus such as a VCR or VTR with a reserved recording function and also to a video recording method adapted to realize such a function. And more particularly, it relates to an apparatus and a method capable of performing a reserved recording operation exactly even when any time difference is existent between the standard time of a receiving site and that of a broadcasting station.
2. Description of the Related Art
In most of the continental countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium and so forth, it is possible to receive UK broadcasts (e.g., BBC1, BBC2, etc.) either directly or through CATV or the like via a broadcasting satellite.
Currently in Europe, there are many broadcasting stations which render services of transmitting broadcast programs by superimposing, on a vertical blanking interval of a television broadcast signal, a code representing xe2x80x9cprogram dataxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cstation IDxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9ccurrent date and time [UTC (Unified Time Coordinated)+LTO]xe2x80x9d.
These broadcast services are prescribed formally in Europe, including VPS Format diffused in Germany, Switzerland and Austria; 8/30/Format2 (PDC) diffused in the Netherlands and Belgium (Dutch zone), France and UK (United Kingdom); 8/30/Format1 diffused in UK and Belgium (French zone) and Italy; and Teletext Page Header diffused in entire Europe.
The concrete contents of such data include xe2x80x9cprogram dataxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cstation IDxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9ccurrent timexe2x80x9d in VPS and PDC; xe2x80x9ccurrent date and timexe2x80x9d in 8/30/Format1xe2x80x9d; and xe2x80x9cstation namexe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9ccurrent (date) timexe2x80x9d in Page Header.
Utilizing such broadcast service is effective to execute simplified reservation of video recording.
That is, the service of PDC or VPS is so performed that, as a broadcasting station transmits a program by superimposing, on the vertical blanking interval of a broadcast signal, ID (broadcast start hour) of the program being currently broadcast, hence enabling an apparatus, which is equipped with a reserved recording function, to comply flexibly to an extension of the program or a change of the start hour.
For example, in an apparatus equipped with a function of setting the current time, a date and a time can be set by the use of xe2x80x9ccurrent date and timexe2x80x9d included in the function. Meanwhile in an apparatus with a function of recognizing xe2x80x9cstation IDxe2x80x9d, the name of the broadcasting station of the channel being currently received can be identified.
In another apparatus with a recording function (e.g., VCR or VTR), it is possible to perform reserved recording of a desired program of any broadcasting station by utilizing xe2x80x9cprogram dataxe2x80x9d.
More specifically, it is so prescribed that, in any broadcasting station conforming with the PDC or VPS, each of programs is labeled (termed PIL) in advance, and during broadcast of any one program, the label thereof is transmitted continuously.
In most cases, such program label signifies an actual broadcast start hour (in a county where the relevant station is sited), so that when the program is received in that country where no time difference is existent, effective use is possible.
With the exception of some particular case, the apparatus starts its recording operation upon reception of a coincident label, and stops the recording operation in response to noncoincidence of the label.
Generally, program tables of television broadcasts and the like are printed in newspapers or magazines.
FIGS. 13A and 13B show examples of program tables printed in newspapers or magazines, in which FIG. 13A represents an excerpt of the program table of BBC1 printed in the UK newspaper TV column, and FIG. 13B represents excerpts of program tables of the Netherlands NED1 and the UK BBC1 printed in TV magazines.
For example, the BBC1 program table of Apr. 20, 1996 printed in the UK newspaper TV column is such as shown in FIG. 13A.
When a user living in the UK reads the program table of FIG. 13A and wants to reserve timed recording of the documentary which starts at 15:00, then the user makes a reservation of the BBC1 program starting at 15:00 on Apr. 20, 1996.
In another exemplary case, when a user living in the Netherlands reads the NED1 program table of FIG. 13B printed in a Dutch TV magazine and wants to reserve timed recording of a desired program, the user makes a similar reservation.
FIGS. 14A and 14B represent PDC program labels (PIL) relative respectively to the program tables shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B.
In FIGS. 14A and 14B showing examples of program ID set in the program tables of FIGS. 13A and 13B by broadcasting stations, FIG. 14A represents a program table of BBC1 and its program ID, and FIG. 14B represents a program table and its program ID of NED1 in the Netherlands and those of BBC1 in the UK.
Since the UK BBC1 is a broadcasting station conforming with the PDC, the program ID (program label: PIL) of the table shown in FIG. 13A is such as represented in FIG. 14A.
Regarding NED1 in the Netherlands also, the program ID of the table shown in FIG. 13B is such as represented in FIG. 14B.
However, since the program ID of the program table is set by each broadcasting station, it is kept unchanged regardless of any of different receiving sites. Although the program ID of the program tables shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B are not printed in TV columns of newspapers or magazines, PDC program ID are additionally annexed here to the program table of the UK BBC1 printed in a Dutch TV magazine, so as to explain the program ID. In this case, the hours signify those in the UK where the broadcasting station is sited.
The following explanation will be given on an exemplary case where a user living in the Netherlands makes a reservation according to the program table shown in FIG. 13B.
Dutch TV magazines published in the Netherlands carry Dutch broadcast hours.
When a user reserves news of NED1 at 07:00 and a drama of BBC1 at 09:00, there are registered, in an internal memory for reservation data in a video recording apparatus, data of 1996.4.20 07:00-09:00 (Pos1: NED1) as PIL Reserved (reserved program) No. 1, and also data of 1996.4.20 09:00-12:30 (Pos4: BBC1) as PIL Reserved No. 2.
The state of registration of such data will be described below with the structure of a video recording apparatus.
FIG. 15 is a function block diagram showing a structural example of principal components in a video recording apparatus equipped with a known reserved recording function. In this diagram, there are included an antenna 1, a tuner circuit 2, a video recording circuit 3, a data detector (program data/station code/date-time data detector) 4, a VTR microprocessor 5, first to third memories 6a-6c, a key input manipulator 7, a display control circuit 8, a monitor TV unit 9, an infrared sensing circuit 10, and a remote commander 11.
In the video recording apparatus with a reserved recording function shown in FIG. 15, data of reserved recording set by the user are stored in the first to third memories 6a-6c. 
In the first memory 6a, there is stored the data of reserved program.
Meanwhile the Pos data set in the video recording apparatus is stored in the second memory 6b, and the data of station code and station name is stored in the third memory 6c. 
The contents of the data stored in the first to third memories 6a-6c are such as those shown in FIGS. 16A to 16C respectively.
FIGS. 16A to 16C are explanatory diagrams representing the states of storage of such data in individual areas of the first to third memories shown in FIG. 15. FIG. 16A shows the content of the first memory 6a to store the reserved program data; FIG. 16B shows the content of the second memory 6b to store the Pos data; and 16C shows the content of the third memory 6c to store the station code and station name data.
As shown in FIG. 16A, the reserved program data is composed of xe2x80x9cPIL Reservedxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cPDC ON/OFFxe2x80x9d.
Regarding xe2x80x9cPIL Reservedxe2x80x9d No. 1, as described above, there are stored 1996.4.20 07:00-09:00, a POS dat xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d and PIL (broadcast start hour, i.e., 07:00 in this case).
Since NED1 conforms with the PDC, xe2x80x9cPDC ON/OFFxe2x80x9d is set to ON. In the UK or any similar country where there are many broadcasting stations conforming with the PDC, it may be initially set to ON in a reserved recording operation automatically.
As for xe2x80x9cPIL Reservedxe2x80x9d No. 2 which is a program of the UK broadcasting station xe2x80x9cBBC1xe2x80x9d, both xe2x80x9cPIL Reservedxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cPDC ON/OFFxe2x80x9d are stored in accordance with the program of FIG. 13B and the program ID of FIG. 14B.
The Pos data stored in the second memory 6b is composed of CH (channel) and station code, as shown in FIG. 16B.
The Pos data is settable per video recording apparatus.
In the case of FIG. 16B, Pos1 is CH xe2x80x9c10xe2x80x9d, station code is xe2x80x9c4801xe2x80x9d of xe2x80x9cNEDLxe2x80x9d, Pos4 is CH xe2x80x9c23xe2x80x9d, and station code is xe2x80x9c2C2Fxe2x80x9d of xe2x80x9cBBC1xe2x80x9d.
In the third memory 6c, the data of station code and station name are stored.
FIG. 16C shows codes of xe2x80x9cNEDLxe2x80x9d to xe2x80x9cNED3xe2x80x9d representing the Netherlands broadcast stations, and codes of xe2x80x9cBBC1xe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cBBC2xe2x80x9d representing the UK broadcasting stations.
A station code is composed of four-digit numerical data, wherein high-order two digits are used as a country code which is allocated to each relevant country to represent the same.
In the third memory 6c of FIG. 16C, the station code of Pos1 is xe2x80x9c4801xe2x80x9d, and the country code thereof is xe2x80x9c48xe2x80x9d.
Therefore, the cases of FIGS. 16B and 16C signify exemplary states where Pos1 is preset to NED1, Pos2 to NED2, Pos3 to NED3, and Pos4 to BBC1, respectively.
Input of such reservation data is executed by manipulating an up, down, left or right cursor key (xe2x80x9c↑xe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9c↓xe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9c←xe2x80x9d, or xe2x80x9cxe2x86x92xe2x80x9d) of the remote commander 11. A detailed explanation thereof is omitted here.
As described already, any broadcasting station conforming with the PDC or VPS continuously transmits the label of a program (program ID) during broadcast of that program.
For example, at the time of a news broadcast, NED1 continuously transmits PIL of xe2x80x9cApr. 20, 1996 07:00xe2x80x9d as program ID set individually by the station.
Similarly, BBC1 also keeps transmission of the program ID set individually by the station.
In the video recording apparatus of FIG. 15 equipped with a reserved recording function, broadcast signals of the reserved channels (in this example, Pos1 of NED1 channel and Pos4 of BBC1 channel) are received in succession alternately by the tuner circuit 2 at a predetermined time interval for each channel, and the VTR microprocessor 5 controls the data detector 4 to extract the data superimposed on the received broadcast signals.
Since the program of NED1 is transmitted from the same country as the one where the user lives, the program ID set by the broadcasting station is fundamentally the same as PIL of xe2x80x9cApr. 20, 1996 07:00xe2x80x9d with regard to the program start hour, and during a news broadcast, such PIL superimposed on the broadcast signal is transmitted from the station.
In response to selection of NED1 (Pos1), the VTR microprocessor 5 instructs execution of reserved recording, as the detected PIL coincides with PIL Reserved No. 1 stored in the first memory 6a, i.e., Apr. 20, 1996 07:00 NED1 (Pos1).
Meanwhile regarding the program of BBC1, the program ID set by the broadcasting station coincides with the program start hour in the transmission source (UK).
In this case, PIL is xe2x80x9cApr. 20, 1996 08:00xe2x80x9d, and this PIL is transmitted continuously during broadcast of the drama.
However, in the Netherlands, the program start/end times of BBC1 are each shifted by one hour from the time in the source country UK.
Therefore, when the VTR microprocessor 5 has selected BBC1 of Pos4, the detected PIL is xe2x80x9cApr. 20, 1996 08:00xe2x80x9d, but the PIL extracted from PIL Reserved No. 2 in the first memory 6a is xe2x80x9cApr. 20, 1996 09:00xe2x80x9d.
Consequently, the VTR microprocessor 5 fails to detect a coincidence between the PILs, whereby it is rendered impossible to perform proper recording of the reserved program.
The PDC program ID (PIL) is fundamentally the data incidental to the program, and when the program transmission source is in the UK, it is customary that PIL for the UK is annexed regardless of any receiving site. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 14B representing some programs and incidental program ID (PIL) data, any program table in magazines or the like published in the Netherlands is based on the Netherlands time, whereas the program ID (PIL) is based on the transmission source UK time, as shown in FIG. 14A.
In general, a program starting at 13:00 for example in the UK is expressed as PIL=13:00.
In the Netherlands, Belgium or any other country where this program is receivable either directly or through CATV via the satellite, the program starts at 14:00.
Therefore, at the time of manipulation for a reservation in a recording apparatus such as VCR with a reserved recording function, a reservation is made with a decision as PIL=14:00.
However, since the UK station keeps continuous transmission of PIL=13:00 during broadcast of this program, no label coincidence is attained with PIL=14:00 despite continuous search for the label of this broadcast in the recording apparatus, so that a recording operation is never begun to consequently fail in performing the desired reserved recording.
In another example where a sport program is suddenly extended or the broadcast time of a certain program is changed due to some other program, it is also impossible to comply properly with such a situation.
As described in connection with the related art, services known as PDC and VPS are currently carried out in Europe and so forth.
When reserved recording is performed by utilizing the PDC or VPS, a video recording apparatus such as a VCR holds the reserved program content (program data) in an internal RAM (random-access memory), wherein the content is compared with the program code (PIL) transmitted from the station during actual broadcast of the program, and the program is recorded only when a coincidence is attained therebetween (with the exception of a special code).
However, in case no coincidence is attained therebetween, no recording is performed at all. Therefore, when recording a program of the channel of any broadcasting station in another country having a time difference, if a user manipulates the apparatus for executing a reservation by the same procedure as that for the same program of the corresponding channel in the user""s country, there arises a problem that the desired program is not recordable, since no coincidence is attained between the content of the reserved program and the PIL transmitted thereto.
It is an object of the present invention to provide improvements in a video recording apparatus and method adapted for enhancing both operability and reliability, wherein, when reserved recording is to be performed by utilizing PDC or VPS, a desired program can be recorded exactly with a reservation through mere setting of a country by a user despite different PIL data derived from the time difference between a broadcasting station and a receiving site.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a video recording apparatus having a storage means to store program reservation data and equipped with a reserved recording function which utilizes program ID superimposed on broadcast signal. In this apparatus, a time difference table is included to store data of time differences between the sites of broadcasting stations and a receiving site, and when the program ID is to be stored as reservation data, the program ID is corrected with reference to the time difference table and then the corrected program ID is stored.
Consequently, it becomes possible to realize proper reserved recording in accordance with broadcast service such as PDC or VPS, hence facilitating manipulation of the apparatus remarkably. And adequate compliance is achievable in conformity with a temporal extension of any program or a change thereof.
The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description which will be given with reference to the illustrative accompanying drawings.